Scottish Executive

Central Heating Programme

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many central heating installations in (a) local authority, (b) housing association, (c) rented and (d) owner-occupied homes have been completed under its central heating installation programme, showing the total cost per category.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The latest available information is as follows:

  (a) Local authorities – 9,699 installations. Cost £24.248 million

  (b) Housing associations – 3,110 installations. Cost £7.775 million

  (c) Private rented accommodation – 1,878 installations. Cost £4.695 million

  (d) Owner occupier – 16,429 installations. Cost £41.073 million.

Central Heating Programme

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it estimates that its central heating installation programme will be completed.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  It is estimated that the current central heating programme will be completed by March 2007. Local authorities are expected to have their part of the programme completed by April 2004, Housing associations (with the exception of Glasgow Housing Association) by the end of 2004 and the private sector by the end of March 2006. Glasgow Housing Association is expected to complete its programme by March 2007.

Central Heating Programme

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it anticipates that the final cost will be of its central heating installation programme.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  It is expected that the final cost of the central heating programme will be in the region of £180 million.

Concessionary Travel

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to extend the current concessionary fare scheme to cover through ticketing on trains and ferries.

Nicol Stephen: As indicated in the partnership agreement, we are committed to extending concessionary travel on public transport, including the introduction of a free national off-peak bus scheme for older people and people with disabilities. We will also continue to support easy to use through-ticketing schemes, for all forms of public transport.

Culture

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to improve Scotland's international image.

Tavish Scott: The Executive is researching how Scotland is viewed internationally. This work will lead to an announcement later this year of a new campaign to promote Scotland.

Economy

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a table of (a) gross domestic product per capita and (b) average income per capita showing comparative data for Scotland and the rest of the UK from 1993 to 2003.

Mr Jim Wallace: The following table presents the estimates of GVA per head for calendar years 1993 to 2001 for Scotland and for the rest of the UK. As these estimates are derived from the income components of GVA, at the aggregate Scotland level, the per capita rates also represent the total Scottish income per capita for each year.

  Gross Value Added (GVA) per head, Scotland and rest of UK (£ per capita)

  

 
 1993
 1994
 1995
 1996
 1997
 1998
 1999
 2000
 2001


 Scotland
 9,809
 10,376
 10,861
 11,406
 11,966
 12,465
 12,802
 13,263
 13,660


 Rest of UK
 9,791
 10,324
 10,815
 11,427
 12,151
 12,895
 13,423
 13,979
 14,546



  Source: ONS.

  Notes:

  1. GVA data from 1997 to 2001 have been published by ONS as provisional.

  2. GVA is also known as GDP at basic prices.

  The Rest of UK figures have been estimated by the Scottish Executive from published figures.

Education

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will take forward the commitment made in Educating for Excellence to consult on the future of the age and stage regulations.

Peter Peacock: Today I have launched a consultation on the future of the age and stage regulations which seeks views from stakeholders as to whether there should be additional flexibility over when young people can receive certification for National Units and be presented for exams managed by the Scottish Qualification Authority.

Environment

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will fund its proposed environmental justice fund.

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what levels of funding will be made available for its proposed environmental justice fund.

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive when details of its proposed environmental justice fund will be published.

Allan Wilson: As the First Minister told the Parliament at First Minister’s Questions on 12 February, the Scottish Executive is currently looking at the potential for an environmental justice fund that would allow resources to be targeted at a number of communities that have been exceptionally ravaged by the cumulative effects of quarrying, mining and landfill operations.

Equal Pay

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is promoting to close the pay gap between men and women.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive is working with the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Scottish Trade Union Congress and other partners in the Close the Gap campaign to raise awareness about the pay gap between women and men in Scotland.

  And, as an employer, we are leading by example. The Executive completed a gender equal pay review in April 2003 and will continue to monitor its pay and reward system to ensure that it is free from discrimination.

Fisheries

Mr Alasdair Morrison (Western Isles) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in talks with the Norwegian Government on fish farming.

Allan Wilson: Directly following talks between Scottish and Norwegian officials and industry, I met with his Norwegian counterpart Mr Ludvigsen in Oslo on Monday, 2 February.

  Dialogue was both wide-ranging and positive, exploring possible areas of future co-operation and co-ordination. We discussed the current UK safeguards application and have agreed that there is a need to share information. It is expected that the respective administrations will hold further talks in May.

Fisheries

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the number of foreign fishing vessels operating in Scottish territorial waters.

Allan Wilson: Access to fisheries in Scottish territorial waters (0–12 miles) is mainly restricted to UK vessels. Some EU member states have limited access. In consequence the numbers of foreign vessels operating there is normally very small.

  On 1 March 2004, surveillance by the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency indicated that no foreign fishing vessels were active in Scottish territorial waters.

Further Education

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what practical support and mechanisms have been, or will be, put in place to help pupils to access further education places as part of their secondary school education.

Mr Jim Wallace: I agree entirely with the need for practical support to pupils.

  Pupil welfare and support is one of the four key themes of our current review of school/college links. I launched the review’s consultation paper last month in Edinburgh’s Telford College. There I saw the sterling partnership working that is already taking place.

  In delivering our Partnership Agreement commitment to provide 14 to 16 year olds with vocational opportunities in colleges as part of their school week, we are not therefore starting from a zero base. However, it is absolutely right that we review current arrangements for pupils’ practical support to spread best practice.

  We will consult further on the detail of our plans when we produce our a draft strategy for schools and FE colleges in the autumn.

Higher Education

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what policy initiatives it is considering on higher education funding.

Mr Jim Wallace: We have a strong track record on funding for higher education, demonstrated by the fact that we have increased funding from £600 million in 1999-2000 to £800 million by 2005-06. We are committed to ensuring that Scottish higher education retains its competitive edge and have agreed to make additional funding available as part of the forthcoming spending review.

Higher Education

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances it can give that all applicants to tertiary education who have been educated in Scottish schools will have equal access to Scottish universities.

Mr Jim Wallace: We expect all universities to admit students on merit, regardless of where they went to school.

Housing

Murray Tosh (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure local authority compliance with the Scottish Housing Quality Standard announced by the Minister for Communities on 4 February 2004.

Ms Margaret Curran: All social landlords are required to prepare delivery plans showing how they intend to achieve the standard by the target date of 2015. These plans are to be submitted by April 2005. Communities Scotland will be assessing the plans and monitoring the progress made in delivering the standard.

  Failure to deliver the standard will not be acceptable. Both the robustness of the plan and progress in implementing it will be subject to consideration by Communities Scotland, including during inspections.

Housing

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new homes for rented accommodation will be built in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Executive is on track to deliver our commitment of funding 18,000 homes for social rent and low cost home ownership by 2006. An announcement will be made shortly about how many social rented homes we will be approving in 2004-05.

  Last October we announced a £10 million two year boost for affordable housing in rural areas, and this week Mary Mulligan published details of 21 new projects that we will be funding next year. These projects are spread around Scotland and will provide over 130 new affordable homes in rural areas experiencing particular need.

Housing

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the implications of the Barker Review for Scotland and whether the Executive has published any data on rises in real house prices or the extent to which house supply is responsive to changes in prices.

Ms Margaret Curran: We have been liaising closely with the Barker Review team and we will consider the conclusions of the review after the final report has been published and we have had an opportunity to consider their implications for Scotland.

  The Scottish Executive publishes average prices for dwellings in the Statistical Bulletin (Housing Series), based on the survey of mortgage lenders conducted by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The Registers of Scotland publish quarterly data on average residential property prices for the whole of Scotland and for seven areas across Scotland. Other organisations including Lloyds-TSB, Halifax Bank of Scotland, Nationwide and the Council of Mortgage Lenders collect and publish information on movements in house prices.

  As regards the responsiveness of supply to changes in prices the interim Barker Review contained analysis of how prices might change in response to a change in supply. No specific analysis is available for Scotland.

Justice

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for legislation on corporate homicide.

Cathy Jamieson: As I said in my earlier answer to Karen Gillon, we are considering this complex area of the law and if we conclude that the law on corporate homicide needs to be changed then we will bring forward proposals for legislation.

Justice

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when, and how, it intends to introduce legislation in respect of sexual grooming.

Cathy Jamieson: There can be no more tragic a problem than child abuse. The damage and heartbreak can last for a life time. We know that those who carry out that abuse are clever and cunning and that they will exploit any opportunity, including the internet. That is why the Executive has continued to take action to protect young people, and to promote internet safety. But let me make it very clear once again we will continue to pursue those who abuse and exploit children. We will legislate on internet grooming, and we will do so at the earliest opportunity.

Justice

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons were learned from the recent visit by the Minister for Justice to courts in New York.

Cathy Jamieson: During my recent visit to New York, I met with representatives of the police, courts and community justice agencies. There are potentially a number of lessons to be learned, including the speed of the process, "restorative" aspects of community service, and the range of services available to address the problems of offending.

Justice

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what support and supervision it will offer to newly-released prisoners to ensure that they do not reoffend.

Hugh Henry: The Executive is working to reduce re-offending rates by developing better throughcare services, as recommended by the Tripartite Group in its report Throughcare – Developing the Service published in January 2003. The enhanced throughcare strategy will strengthen the support provided for prisoners on their release from prison. It is supported by additional funding for local authority criminal justice social work services.

  We are also seeking views on how best we can manage offenders to reduce reoffending through our consultation "Re:duce, re:habilitate, re:form" which Cathy Jamieson launched last week. Over the next 12 weeks we will be meeting with stakeholders, interest groups and communities to discuss how best we deliver safer communities through reducing reoffending.

Justice

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions for male rape there have been in each of the last five years.

Mrs Elish Angiolini: The definition of rape in Scots law means it is a crime that can only be committed against a female victim. Offences of serious sexual assault against male victims are prosecuted at common law as indecent assault and/or sodomy. There is no data available about numbers of prosecutions for offences of indecent assault against males and/or sodomy. Prosecutions for indecent assault are not recorded in a way which identifies the gender of the victim.

Justice

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will publish the outcome of the review and evaluation of the prosecution of rape and sexual offences.

Mrs Elish Angiolini: The review is wide-ranging and will include consultation with a number of interest groups, with whom any recommendations will be shared. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will produce a report for publication at the conclusion of the review.

Justice

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service's review and evaluation of the prosecution of rape and sexual offences will include male rape.

Mrs Elish Angiolini: In Scots law the crime of rape can only be committed against a female. Equivalent crimes of sexual violence against male victims are charged at common law as offences of indecent assault and/or sodomy. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service review will include examination of the prosecution of serious sexual offences committed against male victims.

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many fingerprint identifications were requested in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002 and (d) 2003.

Cathy Jamieson: The number of fingerprint identifications requested is as follows:

  

 Year
 Number


 2000-01
 87,000


 2001-02
 106,178


 2002-03
 104,731


 2003-04
 not yet available



  It should be noted that the figure for 2000-01 does not include the number of identification requests made to individual forces prior to the formation of the Scottish Fingerprint Service.

Landfill

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it is undertaking into the health risks to people living in communities close to landfill sites.

Allan Wilson: The Executive co-funds the Small Areas Health Statistics Unit which investigates the incidence of disease around sources of environmental pollution. In 2001 the unit published an in-depth report into the health outcomes of populations living close to landfill sites. In addition the Executive co-operates with the UK Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs in promoting research into potential health effects of waste management facilities.

  As a matter of course, prior to issuing a permit for any landfill instillation, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency is obliged by the Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003 to ensure that acceptance of waste at that instillation would not compromise protection against human health hazards.

Local Government

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will propose that the roles and responsibilities of local authorities be debated in the Scottish Parliament.

Mr Andy Kerr: We currently have no plans to propose that the roles and responsibilities of local authorities be debated in the Scottish Parliament.

Local Government

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it can take if a local authority does not deliver high quality and efficient local services

Mr Andy Kerr: Local authorities are now under a statutory obligation to make arrangements to improve the outcome of their performance of their functions under the provisions of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003. From this year the Accounts Commission will be auditing these arrangements and reporting publicly their assessment of the results.

  Scottish Ministers have powers under the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 to issue directions to local authorities to take such action or accept such conditions that the Ministers specify if the Ministers are satisfied that the local authority is not complying with its duty to secure Best Value, which is continuous improvement in the exercise of its functions.

  Such directions may be given in the following circumstances:

  In order to protect the public interest from substantial harm

  On the recommendation of the Accounts Commission

  A direction cannot be given without serving a preliminary notice on the authority which offers the opportunity to put its case to Ministers.

  There are also specific intervention powers relating to failures in specific statutory duties such as the provision of education services.

Local Government Finance

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to announce the remit and membership of the proposed independent inquiry into local government finance.

Tavish Scott: We are working with COSLA on this and giving further consideration to the detailed scope, remit and timing of the review. I expect to announce more details in the near future.

Museums

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the up-to-date position is on Concorde coming to the Museum of Flight.

Mr Frank McAveety: This is an operational matter for the National Museums of Scotland who made an announcement on 26 February about preparations for Concorde’s journey by sea and road from Heathrow to the Museum of Flight.

  The Museums expect that Concorde’s journey will start on 4 April and be completed in a little over a week. Concorde will go on public display this summer after a full restoration programme.

  Further announcements will be made by the museums in due course to let people know where and when they can see Concorde during its journey and when it will be available to view at the Museum of Flight.

NHS Equipment

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is, or will be, taking to give strategic management of medical equipment a higher priority at local and national levels, as referred to in Audit Scotland's report, Better Equipped to Care? - Follow-up report on managing medical equipment .

Malcolm Chisholm: All NHS boards will be asked to respond to the recommendations of the Audit Scotland report and detail how they will address these recommendations. The Health Department will monitor such action plans on a regular basis.

NHS Funding

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funds will be made available through formula capital to NHS boards for 2004-05.

Malcolm Chisholm: NHS boards have been given a formula capital allocation of £200 million, an average increase over the 2003-04 formula capital allocation of 9.3%. Details of each board’s formula capital allocation are as follows: -

  

 NHS Board
 2004-05
£ (million) 
 Increase
% 


 Argyll and Clyde
 14.372
 8.63


 Ayrshire and Arran
 13.389
 10.02


 Borders
 3.732
 8.17


 Dumfries and Galloway
 5.690
 11.35


 Fife
 10.929
 9.40


 Forth Valley
 9.029
 8.91


 Grampian
 17.558
 13.18


 Greater Glasgow
 50.963
 14.24


 Highland
 8.363
 11.36


 Lanarkshire
 17.571
 10.37


 Lothian
 30.705
 10.37


 Orkney
 0.488
 6.09


 Shetland
 0.543
 4.42


 Tayside
 15.445
 8.46


 Western Isles
 1.193
 4.65


 Total
 200.00
 9.3



  Island boards will also receive an uplift to obtain parity.

NHS Pay

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to the 33rd report of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Doctors and Dentists Review Body (DDRB) have today published their 33rd report of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration. I am grateful to the chairman and members of the review body for their hard work.

  This year’s report deals primarily with general dental practitioners, doctors and dentists in training, non-consultant career grade doctors, medical and dental consultants who have chosen not to take up new contracts, and ophthalmic medical practitioners. For consultants taking up new contracts, general medical practitioners and the salaried primary dental care services, 2004-05 will be the second year of a three year pay deal agreed as part of NHS pay modernisation.

  The review body has recommended with effect from 1 April 2004 general increases in remuneration of 2.7% for doctors and dentists in training and non-consultant career grade doctors, 2.5% per cent for consultants who remain on the old contract and an increase of 2.9% in gross fees for general dental practitioners. The review body has also recommended adjustments to some features of the pay scales for associate specialists, staff grade practitioners and specialist registrars.

  I am pleased to announce that the Scottish Executive is accepting the DDRB’s recommendations for 2004-05 in full and without staging. Copies of the DDRB report will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 31536).

NHS Staff

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any concerns about the quality of training for surgeons as a result of the European Working Time Directive.

Malcolm Chisholm: The UK policy of Modernising Medical Careers was agreed in February 2003. It will create more effective training pathways, responsive to the needs of the service, with standards of training independently guaranteed. It will enable better managed training programmes operating within the reduced working hours now available for doctors.

National Health Service

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce diagnostic and treatment centres similar to those being introduced in England.

Malcolm Chisholm: Partnership for Care made clear that the way NHS services are provided must continually adapt to reduce waiting times and improve the quality of patient care. It is for NHS boards to determine how these improvements are best brought about. But, NHS boards already have or plan to introduce a number of walk-in treatment centres. This includes Stracathro, Tayside (operational); Stobhill and Victoria in Glasgow (planned); Grampian DTC network (planned) and 411 one-stop clinics (operational).

National Health Service

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a ratio of one GP to a population of 72,000 for the provision of out-of-hours care is appropriate.

Malcolm Chisholm: The appropriate numbers of GPs necessary in the new models of out-of-hours care will be considered as NHS boards develop their plans for out-of-hours service re-provision under the terms of the new General Medical Services (GMS) contract.

  NHS boards must have alternative arrangements in place by December 2004 which must meet mandatory accreditation standards to ensure a safe, quality service. Under such alternative arrangements anyone who needs access to primary medical services will get it, whether it be telephone advice, a home visit or seen at a GP surgery or primary care emergency centre.

  A national out-of-hours working group is established to assist boards. This group is comprised of key stakeholders from across the service and includes members from NHS24, the Scottish Ambulance Service and patient representatives. In addition, three key senior appointments have been made to the pay modernisation team of NHS Scotland to focus on the new models of out-of-hours care across Scotland.

Planning

Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines there are relating to granting planning permission for the building of new supermarkets.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: Planning policy on the siting of new supermarkets is contained in National Planning Policy Guideline 8: Town Centres and Retailing. Copies are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

  Last year the Executive commissioned research into the effectiveness of NPPG 8 which found that the policy was generally working well. We will take into account the detailed findings as we review NPPG 8 later this year.

Planning

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what planning safeguards it intends to put in place to protect villages in the Greengairs area in relation to landfill sites.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 requires that planning decisions are made in accordance with the development plan for the area unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Each planning application must be considered on its individual planning merits within this legislative requirement. The Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003 require that planning permission may only be granted for landfill if the location of the site to residential areas has been taken into consideration.

  In view of Ministers’ role within the planning system, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the merits of any potential plans or proposals for a specific area.

Planning

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects its planning consultation and review to be completed.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: As part of a continuing programme of modernisation of our planning system, we have carried out public consultations on wide-reaching reviews of strategic planning and public involvement in the planning system. We also regularly review our thematic planning policies, such as the recently published policy document Planning and Flooding and our consultation draft policy on Planning for Rural Development .

  We will shortly embark on further public consultations on rights of appeal in the planning system and proposals to modernise development planning. We also expect to publish our first National Planning Framework for Scotland in the near future.

  We will consider the outcome of all strands of the modernisation agenda and consider any necessary changes which require primary or secondary legislation or policy guidance. Subject to other legislative priorities, we expect that a Planning Bill will be introduced during the current session of the Parliament.

Planning

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards it intends to put in place to prevent the conglomeration of landfill sites in one area.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 requires that planning decisions are made in accordance with the development plan for the area unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The cumulative impact of particular developments in an area is a matter for consideration when development plans are being prepared and in decisions on individual planning applications.

Police

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what obstacles there are to the direct election of members of police boards.

Cathy Jamieson: Members of police boards in Scotland are drawn from amongst directly elected members of local authorities who are appointed by their constituent authorities to the police board for their area. Any change to these arrangements would require changes to legislation.

Road Accidents

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how the accident record on the A90 between Perth and Aberdeen compares with that on other similar roads across Scotland.

Nicol Stephen: The accident rate on the A90 between Perth and Aberdeen is below the national average for similar all purpose dual carriageway roads.

Roads

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it provides to Glasgow City Council in relation to the maintenance of the Clyde Tunnel.

Nicol Stephen: We provide revenue support to local authorities for roads, bridges and tunnels, including the Clyde Tunnel, through the general local government finance settlement. That support is not ring fenced, and it is for each local authority to decide how to allocate its expenditure.

Sexual Abuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it provides to Rape Crisis Scotland to ensure that victims of male rape receive the support and counselling they require.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The Scottish Executive’s Violence Against Women Branch, has provided Rape Crisis Scotland with core funding of over £80,000 in each of the three years from 2002-03 to 2004-05. This funding was awarded to Rape Crisis Scotland for staffing and running costs of the national office.

  However, five of the Rape Crisis groups that will receive the funding announced by Margaret Curran on 23 January, provide support and counselling to male victims of sexual abuse. These are Ayr, Central, Dumfries, Fife and Highland.

  The Scottish Executive also provides funding to a range of other organisations which provide counselling and family support services to male and female victims of sexual abuse. These include Men Against Sexual Abuse and the Moira Anderson Foundation. Moreover, all victims of crime can access information and support through Victim Support Scotland.

Social Economy

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote the provision of employment in social firms for people who are disabled and disadvantaged in the labour market.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The Executive, through Communities Scotland, is providing financial support of £160,000 over 4 years to Social Firms Scotland to help them set up new social firms across Scotland. We have also provided direct funding of £122,000 over 2 years to Social Firms Scotland for a project to assist the expansion of the social firm model for mental health sufferers.

  As you are aware, we are also in the process of reviewing our policies to support and develop the wider social economy in Scotland, which includes social firms. Early last year we published A Review of the Scottish Executive’s Policies to Promote the Social Economy. We are developing an action plan to implement the report’s recommendations and hope to make an announcement shortly.

  In addition, we support individual projects that contribute to the promotion of employment for disabled people. On 26 February the Minister for Communities announced support of £200,000 over 3 years for the DARE Foundation’s project on Transition into Supported Employment and Education. This innovative project focuses on building partnerships with young disabled people, education providers, school staff and employers.

Speed Cameras

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are applied when decisions are made by the police about the installation of speed cameras on trunk roads.

Cathy Jamieson: The criteria require safety cameras to be installed at casualty hotspots where there has been a history of speed-related collisions resulting in death or serious injury. Installation decisions are made by safety camera partnerships for each force area. Partnerships involve local authorities, the trunk roads network, the police, district courts and other agencies with an interest in reducing road casualties.

Suicide

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients in psychiatric hospitals and units have committed suicide in each of the last five years, broken down by hospital or unit.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is shown in Table 1 below. Information for the years ending 31 March 2002 and 2003 is not shown, as the data on hospital discharges from mental illness hospitals and psychiatric units is incomplete at present.

  Table 1: Number of Patients In Mental Illness Hospitals or Psychiatric Units In Scotland Who Have Committed Suicide (Dead) Whilst In-patients, By Hospital/Unit Of Treatment And Financial Year Of Discharge.

  

  
All locations
 Year 
  ending 31 March


 1999
 2000
 2001


 14
 28
 26


 Ailsa Hospital
 1
 -
 -


 Argyll and Bute Hospital
 1
 -
 1


 Craig Dunain Hospital
 1
 -
 1


 Crichton Royal Hospital
 -
 1
 -


 Dingleton Hospital
 2
 -
 -


 Dr Gray's Hospital
 -
 -
 -


 Dudhope House
 -
 1
 -


 Dykebar Hospital
 -
 1
 2


 Gartnavel Royal Hospital
 -
 -
 3


 Hairmyres Hospital
 1
 -
 1


 Hartwoodhill Hospital
 -
 -
 1


 Herdmanflat Hospital
 -
 -
 -


 Huntlyburn House
 -
 1
 -


 Inverclyde Royal Hospital
 -
 1
 -


 Leverndale Hospital
 -
 2
 2


 Mental Health & Long Stay 
  Geriatric
Services, Falkirk Royal Infirmary
 1
 1
 -


 Murray Royal Hospital
 -
 -
 -


 Parkhead Hospital
 -
 1
 1


 Pluscarden Clinic
 -
 2
 -


 Queen Margaret Hospital
 -
 1
 -


 Rehabilitation Hospital, Aberdeen
 -
 -
 1


 Rosslynlee Hospital
 -
 -
 3


 Royal Alexandra Hospital
 -
 1
 1


 Royal Cornhill Hospital
 1
 3
 -


 Royal Dundee Liff Hospital
 1
 3
 2


 Royal Edinburgh Hospital
 1
 2
 4


 Royal Victoria Hospital
 -
 1
 -


 Spynie Hospital
 -
 1
 -


 St John's Hospital At Howden
 -
 1
 -


 Stirling Mental Health Unit
 -
 1
 -


 Stratheden Hospital
 1
 1
 1


 Strathmartine Hospital
 -
 -
 -


 The New Craigs
 -
 -
 1


 Wellgreen Cottages
 -
 -
 1


 Whytemans Brae Hospital
 2
 1
 -


 Woodilee Hospital
 1
 1
 -



  Source – ISD Linked Database, January 2004.

  Notes

  1. The figures represent patients discharged dead from mental illness hospitals or psychiatric units in Scotland, where the underlying cause of death recorded on the GRO death record was suicide. Patients discharged alive from a psychiatric unit or hospital (e.g. discharged home or transferred to an acute hospital) and who have subsequently committed suicide are not included in the figures presented.

  2. Suicide includes both intentional self-harm and event of undetermined intent.

Traffic Reduction

Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether congestion charging has the potential to help alleviate problems of congestion in Edinburgh, enable essential funds to be raised to support public transport initiatives across south east Scotland, such as the proposed Edinburgh trams scheme, and enhance the region’s environment through reducing noise and air pollution.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive recognises the potential benefits of road user charging. Powers to introduce such schemes were introduced in the Transport Act 2001.

  It is for a local authority to decide whether it wishes to bring forward such a scheme.